I was (supposed to be) a career
by Mary Mahogony
Summary: Foxface has been in the arena before any of us knew about her. The story of Synthia Catada, District 5?
1. Chapter 1

_About 16 years ago… _

My real mother was in the 58th Hunger Games. She didn't know she was pregnant. She thought she was getting fat.

She was from District 2. They were hunting when she started getting contractions. Her district partner took her back to camp. They delivered me as quietly as possible. But no one would attack the careers, especially not when they are giving birth. When she had me, the game makers became furious. The game was about death, not new life!

So they told her one rule. "If you live, she lives. If you die, she will be sent to a poor district to live the rest of her life."

Little did I know, there was more to that rule. But I wouldn't find out until my reaping day. When I was sixteen.


	2. Chapter 2

Obviously, she died, or I wouldn't be with a family in District 5. I got lucky, though. The game makers didn't seem to care that they put me in the rich part of 5. So really, I'm glad I'm not a career. I don't like when people stare, and volunteering as tribute would certainly draw attention to me.

1 hour.

1 hour.

1 hour.

That's all that stands between me and the reaping. I hear footsteps upon the stairs. Mother is coming to wake me up. She _must _know that I wasn't able to sleep last night, right? I thought I had seen her come in and check on me late at night. But maybe she hadn't. She stares at me for a while with a melancholy look on her face. Then, she wakes me up.

I don't know why I slept so horribly. I have been lucky for 3 years now. But for some reason, this one is different. I can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it is because my mother was sixteen when her best friend was reaped—her friend was weak and often skipped training. So my mother volunteered. To the people of district 5, it was usual. To my mother, it was a good deed. She was certain she would win. From her, I have learned to never be too confident—but that isn't why I couldn't sleep. I just can't seem to remember.

Mother shakes me until I pretend to wake up. She gives me my reaping dress. It's red and plain, but I love it. I think its lucky.

"Honey, we need to talk."

This is never good. I mean, it's never horrible, but it's never good either. I begin to pick at the seams in my pajamas.

"You know the rule your mother followed? Well, there's more to it than I told you."

I stop picking and look at her. What could this mean?

"You see,"

And she goes on to tell that in a nutshell, there's no use for me to cross my fingers and whisper my lucky number over and over again. No matter what, I will be chosen. She knows I don't have many friends, so she's been trying to pay people to send their daughters off instead of me. But they say "no amount of money is worth a child". Many have even stopped talking to her.

So when I come down to breakfast I don't stop between bites. I don't want to talk about this.

I want to just run away. But I can't. I wish my mother was still alive.

**A/N: Please review and tell your friends. If you like this so far check out my other fanfic, Rue's Hunger Games.**


	3. Chapter 3

When my parents offer to walk me to the reaping, I decline. I need some time to process this. Looking back, I should have accepted. I should have spent as much time with them as I could.

Going through District 5 is like walking through a maze. There are no street signs. And, all the houses are the same, down to the kind of glass on our windows. They are all pale yellow, with a white door. They have two floors with 4 windows on the front, two on the side, and 6 on the back. The roofs are covered with solar panels that glitter, any time of day. But I can tell by little things. The house on the end of my street always has laundry out. The house that's a block over and two houses in has cracked steps. I name streets by a thing that they all have that stands out.

Actually, I lied when I said all the houses are the same. 4 or 5 blocks from the Justice Building, you start to see more windows, then more floors, and before you know it, there are big changes. Changes that even the most unobservant person will see. There are flowerboxes, more solar panels. The colors change to green, blue, even red. Then, eventually, you get the Justice Building.

The Justice Building is the biggest _thing _in District 5. It's white marble, with 8 pillars out front. Leading to the pillars are 13 steps. (Did the Capitol do that on purpose? As though it's unlucky to walk onto the stage that way? The only people that ever do are the tributes, because the announcer enters through the Justice Building. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. But with the Capitol, you never know.) The building itself is about 50 stories high. That is, it would be, if the ceilings were normal height. But they are abnormally high, so it's only 10 stories. And the entire thing is made of marble.

As I walk through 5 I can't help but thinking it will be the last time I ever do. When I turn the corner onto what I call "Plant Street" (because most of the people that live there have beautiful flowers) I look down instinctively, and watch as the cobblestone street turns to paved cement. I see something shimmer through the cracks though. Something I've never seen before. I bend down despite the grumble and curses of people on the way to the reaping. For once, I don't care that I've drawn attention to myself.

I inspect the ground and see the sparkle again. I get a burst of adrenaline and start clawing for…whatever it is. When the thing is finally in my grasp I am not disappointed. It's a locket, made of the same material the solar panels are. _It'll be a great token. _I think to myself. I quickly stand up, latch it on, and continue walking, this time more confidently.

_You can do this, Synthia. You can win. And if you don't, you can die proud. You can do this. You can do this._

"Ladies first!" I don't even know our announcer's name, and she's about to ruin my life. The confidence from earlier has vanished. I will probably die fast. And even if I live long, I won't be able to kill anyone, so they'll kill me first.

I hear all the girls around me take a deep breath. I guess they don't know…

She digs her hand around in the bowl. Does she know my name is the only in there? I guess not. Or she's just being overly dramatic.

"Photosynthesis Catada."

Surprise, surprise. I walk up slowly but confidently. I don't want to look weak like the tributes who get dragged up by peacekeepers.

"Any volunteers?" The silence hurts like a knife. _Ouch_. "Our female tribute, Photosynthesis!"

I confidently tell the lady (whatever her name is) to call me Synthia. She nods but does nothing to change her mistake.

"And our male tribute is…Divda Signe."

I have no clue who Divda is. And I don't care. He is my enemy; I don't need to know his name.

I search the crowd for my mom and dad. That's when I realize it's a crowd, all staring at me. I start to get shaky and feel sick to my stomach. I'm not good with a people. That's why I don't have friends who would volunteer.

Announcer lady tells us to shake hands. Now it's a different person, not Divda. Did someone volunteer? What did I miss?

"Everyone, our District 5 tributes, Synthia Catada and Pulka Signe!"

Well, Mrs. Signe certainly comes up with very strange names.


End file.
